The use of novel amphiphilic macromolecules (AMs) for drug delivery has been an area of recent interest. Nanoscale amphiphilic macromolecules (AMs) are biocompatible amphiphilic polymers composed of an alkylated sugar backbone covalently linked to poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG). In aqueous solution, AMs self-assemble to form 10-20 nm micelles with critical micelle concentrations as low as 100 nM, making them more stable than other common micelles. In addition, the basic structure of AMs has multiple points of modification such that the polymer can be modified and evaluated for virtually any application.
These polymers were first designed and synthesized by L. Tian, L. Yam, N. Zhou, H. Tat, and K. Uhrich, Macromolecules 2004, 37, 538. Since their initial synthesis, AMs have been evaluated for the delivery of cancer therapeutics and for the inhibition of highly oxidized low-density lipoprotein in macrophage cells.
Currently, the most efficacious systems to deliver nucleic acids are viruses. However, as they are viruses, they may be unsafe for use as they will provoke an immune response. Thus, novel, versatile, and effective synthetic systems to deliver nucleic acids are needed. Currently, there is a lack of effective systems that are biocompatible and versatile.